Author's Note - - - actually….i have nothing to say hahaha except I'm back
for a second update!
When Jocelyn awoke once again Charlie had left to join his uncle for work, although his mind would be elsewhere. She saw a note on the night table next to her…
My Dearest Jocelyn,
I'm afraid Uncle wishes me to spend some productive time with him, which tears me away from you. I hope you will meet me again in the Gothic tower for another wonderful evening.
Until then I remain yours,
Charlie
Jocelyn smiled at the last line "until then I remain yours…". She read the note over again, particularly the last line, then put the note in her purse. Then she got dressed and walked back to her dressing room with a large smile plastered on her face. Before she could do anything Zidler came barging in the room.
"Good heavens child! Where have you been?"
Jocelyn continued to smile. "The Gothic Tower," she said simply.
"The Gothic…" Zidler murmured, then finally realized. "Well done cherub! You have that nephew wraped around your little finger! I didn't expect that from you until later but you're just full of surprises! Well I must go, must arrange another dinner!"
Harold, bursting with joy, left the room.
Jocelyn dressed plainly, half the morning was already gone. She decided to visit her father and see how he was feeling. Who knows what the bohemians were feeding him.
Christian had entered his writing zone and was oblivious when Jocelyn came to the door. She laughed and snuck up on him with a hug. Startled, but happy, he hugged back.
"Morning dear," he said.
"How's the book coming along?" she asked, while getting breakfast started. She was starving and was sure that he hadn't eaten either.
"Fair enough," he replied. "I finally have the story planned out, now all I have to do is type."
Christian got up and decided to help with breakfast.
"No, that's alright," she smiled. "I got it, you go sit down."
Christian looked at his daughter, she was different.
"You okay?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Wonderful, isn't it a beautiful day?" she asked dreamily.
"Alright, who is he?"
"What? Who's who?"
"Who's the man you fancy?" he asked again.
"Well…"
"C'mon, you can tell your old man," he chuckled.
She laughed and set toast on the table. The eggs would be done in a few more minutes. "His name's Charlie."
"Thank you, it all looks lovely," Duke Bateson said to the waiter as he brought them coffee and french toast with eggs and a little bacon. The were eating in a little café just outside the village of Monmartre.
"Uncle?"
"Yes Charles?" the Duke looked up from his breakfast.
"I've been thinking…about what you said about marriage."
"Wonderful! Have you met any young ladies here in Paris?"
"Well…yes," Charlie said hesitantly.
"Who is the lucky lady?"
"Well, actually…you've met her."
"I have? Curious. I must have met her before, did I meet her at the cotillion before we left London?"
"No, you've met her here…in Paris."
The Duke looked curiously at his nephew. "But surely I haven't met anyone except that girl from the Moulin Rouge…what do they call her? The something Diamond?"
"Sparkling Diamond."
"Yes! That's it. Surely you don't mean her!" the Duke laughed but stopped when he saw his nephews face.
"I do mean her. Uncle she's a lovely person. She would fit in just as well as the next over-stuffed daughter of a rich old bugger who only wants more money and will marry her off until he gets it. Infact she's better, she's smart, funny. And I think I want to marry her," Charlie explained. He was hoping his uncle would understand, but he was wrong.
"Just like your mother. Your father was as poor as they come, practically a bum living in the streets but your mother was convinced otherwise, but I saw through him. You cannot marry that girl. She's a courtesan, and they're sly ones. They make you believe they love you then they take all your money, I've seen it all before. You will marry properly to a furnished, well off young lady. If not then I will cut you off from all your inheritance and you won't be able to show your face in good society ever again. Then see how happy you are then."
The Duke pushed his breakfast away and buried his nose in the newspaper. He was too unsettled to eat. Charlie also pushed his away, he suddenly felt sick.
After they had payed for the check and got into their luxorious, and expensive Charlie noticed, car the Duke placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"It has to be this way, I do this because I love you as though you were my own son. It may not seem like it now but you will be happier this way."
Charlie forced a smile and said nothing. He felt like a servant trapped in a rich man's body. He hated the feeling.
"Papa, do you think he sounds alright?" Jocelyn asked. She had told him everything, except the part about her and Charlie sleeping together of course. "Tell me what you think of him."
"I think," Christian said. "If you love him that much, he is a decent lad then."
"Really?" she smiled broadly. She didn't even notice that the muscles in her face were hurting.
"Really," he replied.
"Oh! I'm so happy!" Jocelyn kissed her father on the cheek and grabbed her coat. "Sorry I can't stay longer, but I have to get back. Bye Papa…and thank you."
"He may be a decent lad," Christian said after she left. "But I don't trust him."
When Jocelyn awoke once again Charlie had left to join his uncle for work, although his mind would be elsewhere. She saw a note on the night table next to her…
My Dearest Jocelyn,
I'm afraid Uncle wishes me to spend some productive time with him, which tears me away from you. I hope you will meet me again in the Gothic tower for another wonderful evening.
Until then I remain yours,
Charlie
Jocelyn smiled at the last line "until then I remain yours…". She read the note over again, particularly the last line, then put the note in her purse. Then she got dressed and walked back to her dressing room with a large smile plastered on her face. Before she could do anything Zidler came barging in the room.
"Good heavens child! Where have you been?"
Jocelyn continued to smile. "The Gothic Tower," she said simply.
"The Gothic…" Zidler murmured, then finally realized. "Well done cherub! You have that nephew wraped around your little finger! I didn't expect that from you until later but you're just full of surprises! Well I must go, must arrange another dinner!"
Harold, bursting with joy, left the room.
Jocelyn dressed plainly, half the morning was already gone. She decided to visit her father and see how he was feeling. Who knows what the bohemians were feeding him.
Christian had entered his writing zone and was oblivious when Jocelyn came to the door. She laughed and snuck up on him with a hug. Startled, but happy, he hugged back.
"Morning dear," he said.
"How's the book coming along?" she asked, while getting breakfast started. She was starving and was sure that he hadn't eaten either.
"Fair enough," he replied. "I finally have the story planned out, now all I have to do is type."
Christian got up and decided to help with breakfast.
"No, that's alright," she smiled. "I got it, you go sit down."
Christian looked at his daughter, she was different.
"You okay?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Wonderful, isn't it a beautiful day?" she asked dreamily.
"Alright, who is he?"
"What? Who's who?"
"Who's the man you fancy?" he asked again.
"Well…"
"C'mon, you can tell your old man," he chuckled.
She laughed and set toast on the table. The eggs would be done in a few more minutes. "His name's Charlie."
"Thank you, it all looks lovely," Duke Bateson said to the waiter as he brought them coffee and french toast with eggs and a little bacon. The were eating in a little café just outside the village of Monmartre.
"Uncle?"
"Yes Charles?" the Duke looked up from his breakfast.
"I've been thinking…about what you said about marriage."
"Wonderful! Have you met any young ladies here in Paris?"
"Well…yes," Charlie said hesitantly.
"Who is the lucky lady?"
"Well, actually…you've met her."
"I have? Curious. I must have met her before, did I meet her at the cotillion before we left London?"
"No, you've met her here…in Paris."
The Duke looked curiously at his nephew. "But surely I haven't met anyone except that girl from the Moulin Rouge…what do they call her? The something Diamond?"
"Sparkling Diamond."
"Yes! That's it. Surely you don't mean her!" the Duke laughed but stopped when he saw his nephews face.
"I do mean her. Uncle she's a lovely person. She would fit in just as well as the next over-stuffed daughter of a rich old bugger who only wants more money and will marry her off until he gets it. Infact she's better, she's smart, funny. And I think I want to marry her," Charlie explained. He was hoping his uncle would understand, but he was wrong.
"Just like your mother. Your father was as poor as they come, practically a bum living in the streets but your mother was convinced otherwise, but I saw through him. You cannot marry that girl. She's a courtesan, and they're sly ones. They make you believe they love you then they take all your money, I've seen it all before. You will marry properly to a furnished, well off young lady. If not then I will cut you off from all your inheritance and you won't be able to show your face in good society ever again. Then see how happy you are then."
The Duke pushed his breakfast away and buried his nose in the newspaper. He was too unsettled to eat. Charlie also pushed his away, he suddenly felt sick.
After they had payed for the check and got into their luxorious, and expensive Charlie noticed, car the Duke placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"It has to be this way, I do this because I love you as though you were my own son. It may not seem like it now but you will be happier this way."
Charlie forced a smile and said nothing. He felt like a servant trapped in a rich man's body. He hated the feeling.
"Papa, do you think he sounds alright?" Jocelyn asked. She had told him everything, except the part about her and Charlie sleeping together of course. "Tell me what you think of him."
"I think," Christian said. "If you love him that much, he is a decent lad then."
"Really?" she smiled broadly. She didn't even notice that the muscles in her face were hurting.
"Really," he replied.
"Oh! I'm so happy!" Jocelyn kissed her father on the cheek and grabbed her coat. "Sorry I can't stay longer, but I have to get back. Bye Papa…and thank you."
"He may be a decent lad," Christian said after she left. "But I don't trust him."